On November 19, 2014, the Texas Supreme Court issued an Order amending all of the Texas Rules of Evidence, effective April 1, 2015. In its Order, the Court explained that the amendments were part of an effort to “restyle” the Rules, to make them as consistent as possible with the Federal Rules of Evidence, and to make them easier to understand.

The 2015 amendments to the Texas Rules of Evidence are a commendable step toward making the Rules more user-friendly. It is clear to even the casual reader that the reformatting of the Rules, through the use of consistent and clearer language, will make the Rules easier to understand and apply. As with any major amendments to Rules of procedure and evidence, though, it is very possible that problems of interpretation and application of the new “style” changes will arise as lawyers and judges struggle with using the new Rules.